We ate at a bunch of restaurants around DC over our long weekend. I did not take pictures everywhere, but I can give you some thoughts on the places we visited and whether they are worth your time (and money) if you are in the area.

Cafe Milano – This is a Georgetown institution that has been around for over 30 years. It’s a see and be seen kind of place for politicians, journalists and diplomats. As we were there at the end of July 4th week, we didn’t see anyone famous. This was a bit of mixed bag. The charcuterie plate was good. Some of us enjoyed their meal more than others. I had a squid ink pasta dish that was very good, but my wife found the pasta with lamb a bit greasy. The service was excellent though, and the wine and cocktails we tried were very good. I’m not sure I would go back, but it was a place you have to visit at least once in DC. We also were able to walk there and back from the Park Hyatt.

Barcelona – I didn’t pick this place. My brother-in-law picked it and he has younger kids (14 and 8) so I’m sure that factored in to his decision. This is a DC outpost of a tapas and wine bar chain that we also have in Atlanta. The food was fine, but nothing all that special. We sat at a large table outside and thankfully it was not too hot after some rain had cooled things down just before we arrived. We have better paella and tapas at other local places near us, although the service was good and we sang happy birthday to my older daughter when she received some flan with a birthday candle. The crowd was young and hip (except us) and there seems to be quite a bar scene in the 14th street neighborhood.

Purple Patch – We met some of my wife’s old college friends here for Sunday brunch. It was a bit of a quirky choice (again, not ours) as the menu was a bit different than usual brunch food. It’s a Filipino restaurant that has been around for about eight years. Again, it was a case of some people enjoying their choices more than others. I shared a great pork dish with my older daughter that also came with papaya salad which I really enjoyed. The waffles and pancakes were a hit as were the breakfast sandwiches. It’s in the very international neighborhood of Mount Pleasant which was fun to walk through on the way from our street parking spot (which I somehow managed to squeeze into). If you want something a bit different, give this place a try.

Le Diplomate – My younger daughter had eaten at this French restaurant with my brother last year and she wanted to bring her parents and her boyfriend here so we could try it too. It’s also a DC institution. Everyone really enjoyed their meals here. The whiskey cocktails that I tried were unique and well-made. We started with a charcuterie and cheese plate which was reasonably priced considering how huge it was. Two people went with the burger, our daughter had a warm shrimp salad and I had the French onion soup for my main course. We then enjoyed a couple of the desserts.

I highly recommend Le Dip (as the locals call it) for a great meal and a fun atmosphere in DC. It’s actually almost across the street from Barcelona where we ate the previous evening on 14th street.

I hope you enjoyed this DC trip report. We have quite a few trips coming up over the next month or so. We are headed to Islamorada in the Florida Keys this weekend for a friend’s birthday, Connecticut for a family reunion in early August and then a return to Kauai for a long weekend in late August. I plan to have reviews and posts from all these trips.

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